Convertible vehicle-body.



Patented 001]. 19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. I. TWOMBLYQ CONVERTIBLE'VEHICLE BODY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 19H.

WITNESSES:

BY j

' ATTORNEY w. 1. TWQMBLY, CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE. BODY.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 19H. I 1,157,266. I Patented 0ct.19,1915.

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EF v 5 3 b w Q 7 v 1L F a Air WITNESSES! INYENTOR i} Willard Irvingmommy,

w. l. TWOMBLYQ C'ONVERTiBLE VEHICLE BODY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, 1911- Patented 001. 19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEETS INVENTOR Willardlrv'm mommy,

BY M 'ATTORNEY I WITNESSES:

w. IJIWOIVIBLY. CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE BODY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0- 19H.

Patented 00h 19, 1915.

4 SHEET SHEET 4 n m Q N 1: a. Q st NW1 INVENTOR WIIIuWI lrvmgjv vonbly, 4 w

WITNESSES:

WILLARD IRVING TWOMBLY, OF EW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 TWOMBLY MOTORS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE VEHIOLE-BODY.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Original application filed March 4, 1910, Serial No. 547,207. Divided and this application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, WILLARD IRVING TWOMBLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, inthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle bodies, and it is the object of the invention to provide a combination convertible vehicle body which may be readily converted from an entirely closed to a partly or entirely open body, and as readily re-converted into an entirely closed structure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vehicle body comprising two compartments, the front one for the driver and the other for passengers, either one or both of which may be converted from an entirely closed to a partly or entirely open compartment, and vice Lversa.

The present application is a division of my application filed March 4, 1910, Serial N 0. 547,207, and relates particularly'to the novel construction and arrangement of the front compartment, whereby the sides thereof may be readilyand quickly removed to convert it from an entirely closed to a compartment having open sides, the sides com-- prising a panel and a door hinged thereto, said panels and doors constructed with window receiving pockets and having drop windows which may be dropped into the pockets to convert said compartment to a partly open sided one.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the body as a closed and integral one. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the side panels having been removed from the front compartment to convert it into anopen structure, and the roof of the rear compartment as folded over the top of the front compartment, roof-supporting'pillais' at the sides and back folded into the body, 5 d door-window supportingframe as folded into the door, to convert said compartment, and the entire body, into an entirely open structure. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, the roof of the front compartment being removed to illustrate the manner of dropping the windows into the panels and doors in said compartment, one

Serial N 0. 607,737.

side of the rear compartment illustrating the manner of dropping the windows into the pockets in the body and door, and the other side illustrating the manner of the pillars folding into the body. F ig. 4 is a front elevation, the parts being in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view to illustrate the construction of the window receiving pockets and the manner of sliding the windows therein; and Fig. 6 'is a detail showing the manner of fastening the panels in the front compartment, and showing in dotted .lines the positions the windows assume when dropped into the pockets.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the diflerent views of the drawings.

In the drawings I have illustrated one form of my invention, and as comprising a vehicle body having two compartments, the

floor (designated in a general way by A) of which is common to both, a pair of sills 2 and 3 constituting a part of said floor whereby to secure the body to the chassis frame of the vehicle.

Constructed integral with the floor and forming a part of the front compartment are rigid roof-supporting pillars 4, 5, 6, and 7, a rigid roof -8 being secured to said pillars and extending over the front compartment to form the roof thereof.

The rear compartment comprises an integral back 9 and sides 10, 11. doors 12, 13 being hinged to said sides and-when closed forming a continuation thereof. At the back of the body are foldable roof-supporting pillars 14, 15 secured thereto by suitable hinges.

At the sides are hinged foldable roof-supporting pillarsl9, 20. The said pillars 14, 15, 19, 20 constitute window-supporting frames, and for this purpose are provided with grooves in which windows 23 are carwhich the windows may be dropped when converting the vehicle body to an open struoture. I

I The doors 12,- 13 have a foldable windowcarrying frame, comprising an upright 25 which has a sliding joint connection withthe door, and adapted to be folded down over:

the top thereof. the lower end 26 when fold provided with pockets similar to the pockets in the back and sides, into which the windows may be dropped; The doors have a locking bolt of usual construction provided with a handle 31'for opening it from the outside, and a hand-piece 32 to'permit opening from the inside. The roofover the rear compartment comprises a plurality of hinged sections 33,34,

I the section 34 being secured to the rigid roof 8 by hinges 35, and the section 33 secured to the section 34 by hinges 36.- In normal position the hinged sections rest upon the foldable pillars 14, 15, 19 and 20, and posi tioned by .means of dowels, although any other suitable means may be used for this.

purpose. The roof sections 33, 34, also have window-receiving grooves in which the upper ends of the windows engage when the.

body is in normal closed position. The said compartment is also provided with the usualupholstered seat, designated in a general way by" D;

The partition between the front and rear compartments comprises a rigid lower portion 38 having a pocket therein similar to the pockets in the body proper. In the upper portion of said partition is'a removable or drop window or panel 39 which maybe dropped into said pocket. I have shown this partition as being of a convertible structure, but it will be obvious that the same may be constructed integral.

The lower portion of the front compartment comprises a dash-board 16, and the upper portion an adjustable window 17, said window secured in any suitable manner, as by hinges 40, so that it may be folded and locked up against the inside of the roof 8. The sides of said compartment comprise re.- movable panels 41, with doors 42 hinged thereto; said doors and panels have pockets 43, 44 in the lower portions and are provided with removable or drop windows 45,46, which may be dropped into the pockets 43, 44. The pockets 4.3, 44 in the panels and doors are of the usual construction, a panel secured to the outside of the framework constituting the outer wall and a panel secured to the inside forming the inner wall. To releasably secure the sides 41 in place they are provided with dowels 47 at the bottomto engage in sockets in the floor A; at the top a releasable spring actuated bolt 48 engages inthe rigid roof '8, and a cam latch 49 having an eccentric bolt to draw the side securely inplace.

The doors have the usual spring lock 50 with a handle to open it from the outside, and a hand-piece 51 for opening it from the inside.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated in side elevation the body as it will appear as an ent rely closed structure. Should it be desired to convert the front compartment into an open structure, it is only necessary to release the bolts 48, 49 and lift the side, the dowels 47 pulling out of the sockets in the floor when the sides may be readily removed. However, should it be desired to convert said compartment into a partly open structure,'the-windows 45, 46, are dropped into the pockets in the doors and the sides. It will be obvious that the sides may be as readily put in place.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the body as having been converted into an entirely open structure. The sides with the doors in the front compartment are removed, the windows in the-rear compartments dropped into the pockets in the sides and back of the body, and the door-windows dropped into the pockets in the doors; the foldable roof sec tions 33, 34 having been folded over the rigid roof 8 of the front compartment, and secured in any suitable manner.

It will be noted that the outer surface of the roofis of convexconstruction, and to permit of the foldable roof sections, folding upon themselves and over the roof of the front compartment, it is essential that the axes of the hinges be in one plane. For this purpose the leaves of the outer hinges are constructed with a bevel surface to set flatly upon the roof, and the ears are made of different lengths to compensate for the difference in height between the outside edges and the middle of the roof.

The rear roof-supporting pillars 14, 15

are folded over the back of the body and connection permittingthe sliding of said uprights so that the bottom thereof will'be flush. with the edge of the door, and the tops Tfill break joints with the bottom ofthe roof-supporting pillars 19, 20, the said uprights 25, 28 and pillars 19, 20 and 14,15

constitutmg 1n connection, with the hinges for the rear'pillars 14, .15 a continuous and finished railfor the top of the vehicle body proper when converted into an open structure.

It will be obvious that in; re-converting either one or both o'fthecompartments from an entirely open to a partly or entirely closed structure the operations are the reverse to with the bottom of the seat and the other member with the floor. I have illustrated these seats in Fig. 3 in full lines in their folded positions, and in dotted lines in open or normal positions.

While I have shown my improvement in connection with a vehicle comprising two compartments, the one compartment having a convertible top, it will be obvious that the same maybe adapted for use in connection with a vehicle body having a single compartment with a rigid or canopy roof, or with 'a body of this character having two compartments, thus providing removable sides for both compartments.

Variations may beresorted to within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a vehicle body, the combination with the floor and a fixed roof, of removable sides for said body extending from the roof to the floor comprising a pair of hingedly connected sections, one section adapted to be removably secured in a fixed position and a the other section serving as a door for the vehicle body.

2. The combination with a vehicle body having a fixed roof, of means to close the sides between the roof and floor, comprising a pair of pivotally connected sections, one section constituting a door; and means to releasably secure the said sections between the root and floor, consisting of pins projecting from the lower edge of said section to engage in openings in the floor, and 00- operating latch mechanism connected to the upper end of said section and the door to draw and lock said section in position.

3. In a vehicle body, the combination with I the floor and a fixed roof, of removable sides for said body extending from the roof to the floor, each side consisting of hingedly connected sections; means to releasably secure the sides in position, comprising pins projecting from the lower edge of one seetion to engage in sockets in the floor, and cooperating latch mechanism connected to the top of said section and the roof, the other section serving as a door, for the vehicle body; windows in the upper portion oi? said sections; and window receiving pockets in the lower portion of said sections into which the windows are adapted to be dropped, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with a vehicle body having a fixed roof, of removable means to close the space between the roof and floor comprising a pair of pivotally connected sections, one section adapted to be removably secured in a fixed position and the other section serving as a door, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

WILLARD iRv-INq TwoMBLY.

Witnesses:

JOHN O. SEIFERT, PAULA PHILIPP. 

